Year 11 Information Evening

1. Year 11 Information Evening 2019

2. Key Staff • Mr O’Doherty – Assistant Head teacher • Mrs O’Shea – Year 11 Progress Leader • Mrs De Middelaer – Head of English • Miss Stuttard – Head of Maths • Mrs Wilkinson – Head of Science

3. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

4. Key Dates • W/B 2/12/19 - First Mock Exam week. • 9/01/20 – Year 11 Parents Evening – 3:30 – 6:30pm(start to think about booking these appointments week before Christmas holidays) • 9/02/20 - Elevate Education Parent session – 6 – 7pm. A session with study skills experts to help you support your daughter’s revision for her GCSE exams.

5. Key Dates • W/B 10/02/20 - Mock Oral Exam week. • W/B 24/02/20 - Second Mock Exam week. • 26/03/20 - Invite Only Parent’s Evening – 3:30 – 6:30pm. If you are invited to this event, it is very important to your daughter’s progress that you attend, as we will only be inviting specific pupils and their parents / guardians.

6. Key Dates • W/B 27/04/20 – GCSE Spanish Oral Exams week. • W/B 4/05/20 – GCSE French Oral Exams week. • W/B 11/05/20 - Start of external GCSE exams. • 24/06/20 - National exam contingency day. • 24/06/20 - Year 11 School Prom. This event will take place at the Isla Gladstone Conservatory, Stanley Park, L4 0TD 6:30pm – 10:30pm

7. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

8. Attendance

9. 2019 Results • GCSE 2019 Results On average, compared to someone with attendance above 98%... • Someone with attendance between 96% and 98% achieves an average grade which is ½ grade lower. • Someone with attendance between 90% and 95% has an average grade which is 1 ½ grades lower. • Someone with attendance lower than 90% achieves an average grade which is 3 grades lower.

10. Attendance Team • Every student should aim for 100% attendance • 98% and above is the average attendance we expect

11. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

12. Preparing for exams • ORGANISE • REVISE • RECALL

13. Organisation • Start revision early. The sooner you start the less you will have to do each day and the less stressed out you will be • The most important thing is to make a realistic revision timetable that you will stick to • Get one good revision book or aid for every subject. They do much of the initial work for you by breaking the subject down into ‘do-able’ chunks

14. Plan your calendar • When you prepare your revision timetable, make sure you plot in your school timetable, your exam dates, and the things you don’t want to miss out on e.g. half term revision. • Important events e.g.- your friend’s birthday party etc. need to be made part of your planning.

18. Reward yourself Build reward time into your timetable. For instance, a full day of revision could equal a trip to the cinema.

19. One last thing on planning … Don’t spend ages making the timetable, or your revision notes, look pretty. Exam timetables are great as long as they don’t become a revision avoidance technique.

21. Working environment • Find somewhere quiet to revise – your bedroom, school, your nans house – and refuse to be interrupted and distracted. • Don’t revise in front of the television, or while listening to the radio. • Sit at a proper table or desk if you can. Bed isn’t a great place to revise as snoozing is far too tempting.

22. Revision • Understand it • Condense it • Repeat it • Review it

23. Understand it … • Check the syllabus … do you understand the whole of the course? • If not, ask for help. • Note down things you still don’t understand so that you can ask your teachers to talk you through them. • Never be embarrassed to ask.

24. Condense it Make notes from your notes, then make summary notes of these!

25. Repeat it • Learn through repetition. • Revision is repetitive … you need to make it as interesting as possible. • 10,000 hours rule.

26. Review it After a one hour memorising session: • 10 minutes later revise the topic for 10 minutes • 1 day later revise the topic for 5 minutes • 1 week later revise the topic for 2-5 minutes • 1 month later revise the topic for 2-5 minutes • Before exams revise the topic as required. Each time knowledge is reinforced; it enters deeper into the long-term memory and becomes more stable and easier to recall.

27. Rehearse it Practise on past exam papers and revision tests. There are lots available on the web. Initially, do one section at a time - and progress to doing the entire paper against the clock. http://www.edexcel.com/i-am-a/student/Pages/Past_papers_app.aspx http://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/exams-guidance/find-past-papers-and-mark-schemes http://www.ocr.org.uk/i-want-to/download-past-papers/

28. Preparing for exams • ORGANISE • REVISE • REHEARSE

29. Look after yourself

30. Stay healthy • Stay in good health. Eat a balanced diet, exercise (it keeps your brain active) and get enough sleep. • “Higher educational attainment is associated with healthier behaviour”

31. Look after your brain!

32. ..and finally… Don’t forget that there is plenty of help and support for you in school from: Subject teachers Form tutors Mentors Make the most of it!

33. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

35. Maths • Exam Board : Edexcel • PROVISIONAL Dates of exams in Summer 2019 are Tuesday 19th May – Paper 1 (Non calculator) Thursday 4thJune – Paper 2 (Calculator) Monday 8th June – Paper 3 (Calculator) All papers are 1 hour 30 minutes. • Full equipment required for the exam but in Maths this includes a protractor, compass and a scientific calculator (Casio recommended) • Revision in Maths is all about practicing questions that you are not as confident with. Using feedback from lessons and papers that you complete, use the following websites to support you with practice questions and exam style questions. Remember – if you get stuck, the Maths team are always available to support you. Hegartymaths (weekly homework set) https://hegartymaths.com/ Corbettmaths www. corbettmaths.com Mr Barton Maths www.mrbartonmaths.com Maths Genie – GCSE www.mathsgenie.co.uk/gcse

36. AQA Combined Science (Trilogy) GCSE • Exam dates (all 1hr and 15 minutes): • Biology paper 1 - 12thMay • Chemistry paper 1 - 14thMay • Physics paper 1 – 20th May • Biology paper 2 – 1ST June • Chemistry paper 2 – 10thJune • Physics paper 2 – 12thJune • Worth two GCSE’s so will get grades that are either matching (9-9, 8-8, 5-5 etc or grades that are one apart, eg 9-8, 8-7, 5-4). • Revision materials to use: Teacher-given Key Questions sheets, plus BBC Bitesize, Seneca Learning, Memrise and Educake. • Tips: Keep looking on SMH for resources given by teachers.

37. AQA Biology, Chemistry and Physics GCSE’s • Exam dates (all 1hr and 45 minutes): • Biology paper 1 - 12th May • Chemistry paper 1 - 14th May • Physics paper 1 – 20th May • Biology paper 2 – 1ST June • Chemistry paper 2 – 10th June • Physics paper 2 – 12th June • These are three separate GCSE’s so will get different single grade for each subject. • Revision materials to use: Teacher-given Key Questions sheets, plus BBC Bitesize, Seneca Learning, Memrise and Educake. • Tips: Keep looking on SMH and email for resources given by teachers.

38. AQA GSCE Religious Studies Exams Information GCSE Religious Studies is awarded based on two final exams; each lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes. A study of two religions: Paper 1 (11th May-PM) Christianity – beliefs Christianity – practices Islam – beliefs Islam – practices A study of four themes: Paper 2 (19th May-PM) Theme A – Religion and families Theme B – Religion and life Theme D – Religion, Peace and Conflict Theme E – Religion, Crime and Punishment Exam preparation There is no need for you to purchase revision books or guides. The RE dept provides your daughter with all the revision materials she needs to be successful: • A comprehensive revision guide for all 8 topics. • Online revision powerpoints for all topics including Youtube videos and practice questions. • Regular exam practice in class and mock exams. • Targeted intervention on Thursdays (week B). • Saturday/Feb half-term and Easter revision sessions for all students (dates tbc). Independent study is essential. Your daughter should already have six revision guides for the topics studied to date. Please check and direct her to her RE teacher if she is missing any.

39. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

40. Revision Resources • www.senecalearning.com – explains material and then tests you. • CPG revision guides – these can be useful but these are ONLY GUIDES – you would be much better learning the materials in your folders / exercise books • Revision flash cards available in shops like B&M for less than £2. • Classcharts will have revision resources to download e.g. revision timetables, tips etc.

41. Intervention Sessions • Year 11 Intervention October 2019

42. Classcharts Parents and students both have log in codes to see the homework teachers issue. You can download as an app on your phone or use it online. All students should have homework each evening AND should be revising.

43. This evening’s information • Key dates • Attendance • Advice for students • Core subject key information • Revision resources for parents • Advice for parents

44. Parental Support • You are the expert in knowing your child • Don’t underestimate the difference you can make • 16 year olds will differ significantly in their approach to exams.

45. Understand the challenge • Reformed GCSEs are very demanding - most courses 100% exam - more content to revise - ‘A level’ content • Students will have to work hard and revise to do well • Reinforce why they have to revise, explain the rewards of doing well.

46. Help them to get organised • Have they got the right equipment they need to revise? • Have they got access to the right revision guides? • Do they understand the exam timetable? - When/where exams are - What is examined on different papers.

47. Healthy habits • Exercise • Hobbies • Food and hydration • Sleep • ‘Unplugging’ (all devices off) • They have to be alert for a 9am exam.

48. Keeping it in perspective • If they are finding it difficult… - remind them that it’s hard for everyone - tell them it will soon be over - it will be worth the effort and sacrifice in the long run. • If they think they have ‘failed’ an exam, reassure them they probably haven’t • If they are stuck, get them to ask for help • They can only do their best! • Contact us if you are worried that they seem overwhelmed.

49. Parental support – please don’t • Make comparisons with brothers/sisters etc. • Unintentionally add to their worries by constantly mentioning exams • Relate too much to when you sat exams • Worry if they seem to have unusual revision techniques • Distract them unnecessarily • Overreact by telling them, ‘they’ll fail if they don’t…’ • Expect them to study all the time.

50. Parental Support – please do • Praise hard work and effort • Encourage your child to seek help if they are stuck • Encourage regular breaks • Keep us informed of any problems/issues • Remind them that it will soon be over! • Emphasise the rewards of doing well • DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE DIFFERENCE YOU CAN MAKE!